ictchris

For those saying that Hayes is over-rated, since he came back from injury he has scored six goals and assisted in eight, that's 14 goals out of 23 the team has scored in that time, a fantastic record. He's a great player, our most important player.

We are unbeatable, we are unbeatable, we are unbeatable, we are unbeatable.

Be sure and lettuce know if you hear anything.

I am one of the 54 Terrible first half performance from us, we just didn't get going and offered nothing up front. On Saturday we didn't offer much in the first half other than long range shots, we failed to match that this time. We also looked relatively disorganised at the back, with Barrowman exploiting space behind our defence to spurn a great early chance. I think that we looked more solid with Golobart and Gillet rather than Golobart and Tokely as our centre half pairing. The only chance we created in the first half was when we got a man free on the left but we dawdled and ended up bobbling a ball back to Smith. I missed the Pars goal as I was going for a bridie Having just watched it on the BBC website, Graeme Shinnie should've done better with the cross, he was ball watching and Barrowman exploited that well to nod home. I don't think many in the Caley end could have complained about us being down and everyone knew we'd need to buck ourselves up to get back into the match. As it happened we didn't need to buck ourselves up, the Pars handed us a lifeline with a horrific defensive mix up. A terrible header from Keddie went looping into the air and the confusion and timidity of the Dunfermline back-line saw Smith and Rutkiewitz in a fankle which gave Jonny Hayes his second tap in in a fortnight. Absolute calamity from Dunfermline, I feel a bit sorry for Chris Smith because it wasn't entirely his fault but looking at the incident you can see the lack of confidence and leadership from Dunfermline shine through. For the rest of the half I thought we did well and Tade could've done better at the end of a strong run from the left but could only win a corner. Dunfermline forced Tuffey (much improved from his last showing) into a couple of saves but we had the best of it, albeit without forcing a winner. IN extra time we strolled away with it. Andy Shinnie showed us what we've been missing this last month with a stunning drive into the far corner, completely unstoppable. We looked comfortable throughout the extra period and, after spurning a couple of opportunities, sealed the win with a neat goal from Tansey sending us home. Worth mentioning the stunning save Jonny Tuffey pulled off as the game petered out. The crowd was poor but there was decent banter between the fans. I didn't hear anyone saying anything about NOrrie McCathie, what was that about?

You should've called for Butcher to get Tevez on loan.

Just back. It wasn't the best game but I was happy with Caley's performance. Richie Foran dropped out from our XI due to suspension and Nick Ross came into the side to replace him. The match started with Motherwell making most of the pressing, as you'd expect as the home team. They had most of the game and were stretching our back four reasonably well, albeit without causing any real difficulties to our goal. As the half went on, Golobart had to slide in to deny Higdon (I think) and there was a massive shout for handball, which obviously you couldn't see from our end. Omar Daley, who looked lively, had an opening in the box but sent his shot way over. As the match moved towards half-time, we came into the match a bit more and started to threaten the 'Well goal. Mainly this was restricted to long range efforts and hard work from Billy McKay to create an opening, but at half-time I was fairly pleased with how things were going. We started the second half well, forcing a series of corners and creating a few openings. Gregory Tade (who had looked poor in the first half) was making more threatening runs down the left and Jonny Hayes was getting more involved in the game, including a great chance right at the start of the half where he jinked to the byline but saw his shot blocked. As this was happening, Well did make chances but I thought ouir defence did a good job. I haven't been to many games this season but it was the first time I've thought our back four looked reasonably solid. Golobart is a fine player and is capable of telling tackles and interceptions and can also pass the ball. We were on top and had our best chance thus far when Tade was played through in the left hand channel and bore down on goal, only to see his shot blocked by Randolph for a corner. I'd been despairing at Tade in the first half but he did well here and forced a corner. Even better was to come midway through the second half when he took a ball in to feet, spun past his marker and cracked a stunning shot into the top corner. It was an absolutely superb strike, an indication of what he is capable of when he concentrates. We picked up from such a great goal and carved oiut a couple of half chances following this but the anxiety of our team not having had a clean sheet started showing and we began sitting deeper. Butcher obviously felt it too as he put on Steve Williams and David Proctor, leaving our players confused as to who was supposed to be doing what in the back four, which became something approaching a back seven! We held out though and the players, especially the defenders, showed what it meant to them with passionate celebrations at the end. Our best players were Golobart, who is a cool customer at the back, and Lee Cox, who is energetic and makes space very well in the midfield. Tade deserves a mention as well for his goal and his second half showing.

There are exceptions, the occasional good young player like Kevin Doyle or Seamus Coleman, but the fact is that very few players have moved from the LoI to the SPL with any great success. We'll see how these guys that Hibs are signing do in the SPL - they are apparently signing Garry Twigg. He has been a prolific scorer in the LOI for the past three seasons, before that he played in the Scottish lower leagues for Airdrie and Brechin.

James McPake would be a good signing. Don't think we'll get him though. As regards the League of Ireland, how many good quality first team players have moved from there to the SPL? The last decent player was Noel Hunt. The LoI is pish.

As I said somewhere else, anyone know if we've got any trialists playing? These games are often used to try out potential signings.

We are playing Hibs in a bounce game today - 1pm at Hibs training ground. Going by Twitter, Doran, Meekings, Sutherland, Ross and Morrison are all involved. I wonder if there will be any trialists turning out for us? Anyone able to make it along or source some rumours about our line up? I can't get out to East Mains by 1pm and dunno if you'd get let in anyway.

http://www.claretandbanter.co.uk/threads/steve-williams-to-inverness-ct.30446/

We wouldn't be playing at home on the same day as County if we were both in the SPL. We might have to work harder to sell advertising and hospitality though as we'd have more competition but that could lead to us improving our service. One boost would be that we will have established relationships with advertisers and local businesses. The big danger to that would be if we were relegated and County went up. As for County falling away in the second half of this season, I think they will hang on to win the league. When Dundee stumbled they had us on their tail and I don't think there's a team as good as our class of 09/10 in the current First Division.

My post from P&B Just in from the game. Thought we were unlucky to go in level at the break, we had the better of the first half. Golobart made a silly mistake for the free kick and O'Connor showed excellent technique to get it up and down in time. We rallied very well though, Foran hit the post and then Hayes sent a shot inches wide. Tade also had a chance in the first few minutes but couldn't get a touch on a long ball forward. McKay had a chance that was blocked, perhaps he could've done better with it. Hayes was looked dangerous on the right and it was predictable that he would be involved in the goal but what a goal. Running from his own half, evades a couple of tackles, makes space and slots one in from the edge of the box, absolutely superb. One of the best goals I've seen us score in the SPL, an real cracker. I expected/hoped that we'd continue the second half the way we finished the first but the game died after the break, we didn't have many chances, although Davis got behind the Hibs back four at one point, only to have his shot cleared. We created a few promising positions but never really capitalised on them. Hibs didn't truly threaten us until injury time when they had several good chances from a series of corners, the sort of ending to a match that drives fans mad. In terms of our players, I thought that Foran had a good game in the middle of the park, he was strong, made good runs and had some good passes. Cox was really industrious and busy, he really covers a lot in the midfield area. At the back, I was relatively pleasently surprised - Golobart looked very composed, frighteningly so for someone who is 19. He showed good timing in terms of interceptions and headers and always walked the ball out from the back well. Gillet did OK as well, some flying headers and a couple of crunching tackles. I wasn't as impressed with our full-backs, who didn't distribute the ball that well I thought but were reasonably solid. Hayes was dangerous, especially in the first half, but Tade was poor on the other wing. He just didn't look like a wide player, his feet weren't quick enough and he looked predictable. McKay put in a real power of work up front but, as I said above, could've pulled the trigger quicker in the first half. Overall, I'm pleased with a point. Four points from the two games against Aberdeen and Hibs, we've improved our position against both in the last week and showed progress and a bit of solidity. Not quite a clean sheet yet but no goal conceded from open play.

Someone please give Calderwood a managerial job so he can stop whoring himself around the press every other day?

We've got more money than Rangers but less than Manchester City.

I'll be there, it's my posthumous stag do. It's going to be cranage. Not carnage. Cranage.

Er, yes I wasn't suggesting that David Davis was some sort of dodgy con-artist. His accounts clearly been hacked, there was another obvious spam message on it today.

Anyone else get a spam message from David Davis?

STV reporter tweeting that we are close to bringing in another EPL loanee. I don't think we'll go for Tevez now. Balotelli?

Owen hargreaves and Carlos Tevez. ;)

Get Tevez in.

Shane Sutherland is on Twitter now - @shaneo9018

We've had a few defeats to lower league sides in cups. This defeat feels worse as it's combined with a horror start to the season, with no light at the end of the tunnel.

With Johnny Hayes apparently dislocating his shoulder we have lost one of our two real attacking threats this season. We can't defend and our midfield is bypassed with more ease than a mid-sized English market town. The only thing we have going for us is Ryan Esson, so he needs to up his game adn start scoring goals or we're f***ed. Line up: =================Esson==================== ------Piermayr--------Tokely------------Hogg- ------------ShinnieG------------ -------Ross------------Tansey-----------Morrison- --------Doran--------------- --------------------------Tade----------- ----Foran--------------------------------- Subs Tuffey Golobart Sutherland ShinnieA Laing

What formation are we playing with that line up? Who's in the middle of the park with Morrison?